HAMWORTHY United boss Phil Simkin was so desperate to snare Gosport Borough striker Warren Byerley on loan that he got the hitman out of bed at midnight.

Simkin finally got his man on a one-month loan deal last Thursday - just in time for Byerley to bag a goal in Hammers' 4-0 destruction of Hayling United on Saturday.

But Simkin, Byerley and Gosport boss Alex Pike would have all been slightly bleary-eyed come Friday - after Simkin revealed that the deal was signed in the middle of Thursday night.

The Hammers boss, whose side face New Milton Town tonight at the County Ground (7.45pm), revealed: "I actually got to bed on Friday morning at about 1.15am. I went up to Gosport on Thursday night, picked Alex up, found the chairman and got it signed. We got Warren out of bed at midnight to sign it.

"Alex offered to do it for me that night as they weren't training, so that was very good of him.

"If I was going to have him, I wanted him for the Saturday, but I didn't think it was going to be physically possible to do it before then. But Alex made it possible."

Simkin admitted the presence of former Dorchester Town striker Byerley gave his side "a boost" after Hammers has managed just one point from their opening two league games.

And with star striker Jack Swann still battling to recover from a shoulder injury, Simkin has been busting a gut trying to bolster his stricken squad with some much-needed firepower.

Simkin added: "Warren played very well on Saturday. It's fairly obvious he's not match fit but he led the line very well and took his goal well.

"To be honest, he gave everyone a boost. He did a good job and I'm sure he'll continue to do a good job for the rest of his loan spell."

Hammers are sweating on the fitness of Steve Gilbert ahead of tonight's clash at the County Ground after the defender was pulled off at half-time on Saturday with a tight hamstring.

Hamworthy: (from) Peters, Smart, Gilbert, Walker, Grimason, Horlock, Dovell, Hubbard, Mutch, Kenway, Jackson, Byerley, Legg, Charmichael, Lovell.